Page 37 of Cursed Wolfsbane

I raise my eyebrows at him. This is the first time I’m hearing about this plan. Saint just smirks, daring me to disagree. Turning to Aunt Molly, I shrug. “I guess we’re staying with Saint.”

Since everyone’s done with lunch, I push my chair back and get up. I grab mine, Xander’s, and Malachi’s plates. I’m walking around to get Bastian’s plate when Aunt Molly says, “Leave it, sweetie. You’re the birthday girl, so you don’t need to clean up.”

“Are you sure? I really don’t mind.” I stand awkwardly with three plates in my hands, unsure what to do with them.

“I’m sure! Go get settled in at Saint’s place. We have cleaning up covered.” Aunt Molly walks around the table and takes the plates from my hands. She passes them off to James before wrapping me in a hug. “I love you, Briar Rose. You have Emmaline’s number. Text her if you want to come over for dinner, okay?”

“Love you too, Aunt Molly. I can do that. Thank you again for the birthday lunch. Everything was wonderful.” I give her another hug before stepping back. I wave at Uncle James and mycousins. Everyone hollers over each other saying goodbye, and I can’t help the silly smile plastered on my face as we leave.

CHAPTER 17

BRIAR

When I step out into the chilly fall air, I take a deep breath, savoring the sting of the cold air in my lungs. Slipping my other arm into my backpack strap because I don’t know how far we’re walking, I turn to Saint. “So, how do we get to your place?”

Saint steps up beside me with the Wyldharts trailing him. “Portaling is easiest. It’s a bit outside of town.”

“Oh, I see now. You’re taking us to your serial killer cabin in the woods,” I respond, just to mess with Saint a little.

Saint sputters and turns to me, ready to defend himself. When he sees the teasing grin on my face, he shakes his head at me. “Yep, you have me all figured out. So, wanna go on a hot date to my murder shack?”

“Sounds like a screaming good time,” I deadpan. Bastian cackles, and Malachi huffs a quiet laugh. Xander’s silent behind me, probably finding me annoying as usual. My smile droops at that thought.

Saint says, “Aperire.”A portal with red sparks ringing it flares to life. Now that I have my memories back, I remember that each mage has their own unique magic color. Saint’s isbloodred. My dad’s was navy blue. Aunt Molly’s is violet, and Uncle James’s is deep green.

I always used to wonder as a kid what my magic color would be, but I guess I don’t have one since I’m a wolf. When I was younger, I never really gave much thought to being a shifter like my mom. Since I grew up in a mage town, I always assumed I’d have mage magic as an adult. I’m still not exactly sure how I have a biological wolf mom and mage dad, but that’s a mystery to solve another time.

Mages use Latin words to focus their magic, making spells easier to cast. A mage can theoretically perform magic without a focus phrase, but it would be a lot harder. I’ve never seen anyone do magic without saying something in Latin before.Aperiremeans to open, which is why mages use it for forming portals. To close one, a mage just has to release the magic that’s holding it open, no spell needed.

Even with my memories back, I still hate the feel of portals. I’m surprised mages haven’t figured out how to make this type of travel more pleasant yet. Steeling myself for the sticky sensation, I walk through.

When I pop out on the other side, I come face-to-face with a classic red brick colonial house. It’s two stories, perfectly symmetrical, and has three dormers dotting the gray roof. White columns, trim, and the front balcony and black shutters give the house a timeless feel.

Saint’s home sits in front of a familiar forest. Although the oak, elm, hemlock, and pine trees are bare for the winter right now, I can picture them as they would be in the fall. This forest is a riot of red, orange, and yellow leaves in October as the trees prepare for harsh winters.

“Is this on the McAlister estate?” I ask Saint when he comes through after the Wyldharts.

“Yeah. I couldn’t bring myself to rebuild where our home used to be, but I still wanted to live on the property.” Saint rubs his chest and stares off in what’s probably the direction of his old home. After a moment, he strides determinedly toward the attached garage.

He enters a key code into the garage side door. Mages love human technology almost as much as regular humans. While mages can do all of the same things technology can, it requires power. Each mage has a finite amount of magic, and that amount differs from mage to mage. Once their magic runs out, mages are essentially human until the magic replenishes. How fast their magic comes back depends on how strong the mage is.

By using human technology for mundane things—like building entry, light fixtures, security cameras, phones to communicate, and fridges to store food—mages can save their magical energy. That way, when a mage needs a spell for more difficult tasks that technology can’t do, like portaling, they have more than enough magic for it.

The door swings in with a creak. We follow Saint into the dim but surprisingly large garage. He puts in another code to open the door to the main house. Leading the way inside, Saint pauses in the mudroom to take off his shoes. I also take off my shoes but keep my backpack on.

After exiting the mudroom, I step out into an open-plan main floor, with the kitchen, living room, and dining room all one space. Dusky blue walls complement the natural white oak floors that run throughout the airy space. Large windows and a set of French doors that lead to the backyard let the early afternoon sunlight pour in. Vibrant green plants dot the main floor, ensuring it doesn’t feel clinical or cold.

“Your house is gorgeous, Saint.”

He chuckles. “Thanks. I didn’t design the inside, though. Molly, Fi, and Emmy handled that for me. Otherwise, the wholehouse probably would’ve been decorated in shades of black and red.”

My mouth curls up in a smile remembering teenage Saint’s bedroom. It was indeed decorated entirely in black and red, which are his favorite colors. “I’ll have to tell them they did a great job next time I see them. Where should we set our stuff?”

“Upstairs. Follow me.” We follow Saint up the natural white oak stairs. My feet sink into the soft gray stair runner as I ascend. There’s a bank of doors at the top of the staircase. Saint points to the one on the far right. “That’s my room. The rest of these are guest rooms. You guys can pick whatever rooms you want. You’re always welcome in my room, little shadow, but I figured you might want some space to yourself for a bit.”

I give him a small nod. “I would. Thanks, Saint.” While I love spending time with my newly remembered family, it’s a lot being around so many people. I’ve been essentially on my own for so many years, only really hanging out with Ava in the evenings. Interacting with everyone again is pretty overwhelming.

He dips his chin in acknowledgment before slipping into his room and shutting the door.

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